Media Trends 2025: How the Attention Economy Is Being Rewritten | What media owners need to do differently in 2026

By any measure, 2025 is not a “normal” year for media.

Globally, entertainment and media revenues crossed roughly US$2.9 trillion in 2024, and are projected to grow at a slower but still healthy ~3.7% CAGR to about US$3.5 trillion by 2029. Growth is no longer driven by explosive subscriber additions and easy money; it is driven by consolidation, pricing power, and smarter ad products.

In India, the media & entertainment (M&E) sector reached about INR 2.5 trillion (US$29–30 billion) in 2024, growing a modest 3.3% year-on-year. But the structural shift is huge: digital media has overtaken television as the largest segment with about 32% of total revenues. Traditional pillars – TV, print, radio – are still powerful in reach, but their business models are under pressure.

Here's what's actually happening:

- Advertising worldwide has crossed US$1 trillion, with digital expected to contribute nearly three-quarters of all ad revenue by 2025 final numbers.

- India’s ad market is expected to touch ~INR 1.64 lakh crore in 2025 final numbers, with digital around 60% of that spend.

- The global box office is on track for roughly US$33 billion in 2025, up from about US$30.5 billion in 2024 – still below pre-pandemic averages but recovering.

- Streaming is consolidating hard: Skydance–Paramount is now one merged entity, and Netflix’s planned US$80+ billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery’s studio and streaming assets is the biggest shock to Hollywood’s power map in decades, pending regulatory approval.

For media owners, 2026 is the year you stop asking, “Is my medium dying?” and start asking, “What business am I really in — and how do I own that relationship end-to-end?”

Key Priorities for Media Leaders in 2026

The story is not about format or platform—it's about control. Media companies that win next year will be those that:

• Own the relationship with their audience (not just rent attention)

• Build distinctive content that travels across all platforms

• Use data and technology to enhance human creativity, never replace it

• Develop sustainable, diversified revenue models

• Invest in leaders who can bridge newsrooms, product, and commerce

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1. Newspapers & Print

2025 Reality: Not Dead, but Definitely Different

Global

- Print circulation keeps shrinking in mature markets, but strong brands have stabilised revenue through:

- Digital subscriptions and paywalls

- Memberships (events, newsletters, community access)

- B2B products: research, data, and niche verticals (finance, climate, policy)

- Many “newspapers” now think of themselves as news brands: print is just one product in a portfolio that includes apps, podcasts, briefings and live events.

India:

- English metropolitan print is declining in both circulation and ad revenue.

- Regional and language dailies (Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, etc.) remain culturally and politically important, especially in Tier-2/3 towns.

- The ad shift, however, is much faster than the readership shift: a bigger share of local retail, education and classifieds has gone to digital, social and search.

 Structural Shifts

- Print’s core advantage is now trust + depth + local presence, not speed.

- AI tools make good-enough commodity news free and instant; human-reported, local, investigative work is what people will pay for.

- Large advertisers increasingly demand integrated deals: print + digital + events + content marketing.

 So What Should Newspaper Owners Actually Do?

1. Redesign your P&L around “News Brand”, not “Newspaper”

- Treat print, site, app, newsletter, podcast, YouTube, WhatsApp channel, events as one portfolio.

- Build one customer data platform (CDP) linking subscription, event attendance, email engagement, and ad responses.

2. Move from “ad-first” to “relationship-first”

- Aggressively grow direct reader revenue:

- Tiered digital subscriptions (basic news, premium analysis, business verticals).

- “Pro” products (policy watchers, corporate briefings, election trackers).

- Membership perks: offline townhalls, newsroom tours, access to editors.

- Protect your premium reporting by ring-fencing it from SEO-only clickbait that erodes brand equity.

3. Build a Serious Local and Vernacular Strategy (India)

- Use your legacy distribution to become the dominant local digital brand in your language / region:

- Hyperlocal video explainers and shorts.

- Service journalism (jobs, schemes, civic issues, school/college info).

- Partner with local creators and stringers, but keep editorial standards and fact-checking centralised.

4. Use AI as an Efficiency Tool, Not a Replacement

- Automate: market data pages, commodity prices, weather, sports scoreboards, translations.

- Never automate investigative, political, or sensitive reporting; make your AI use policy public to maintain reader trust.

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 2. TV News Channels

 2025 Reality: Influence Rich, Cash Poor

Global:

- Linear news viewership is declining slowly in many markets – but TV news still sets the agenda. Short clips from CNN, BBC, Fox, Sky, etc. fuel social media debates.

- Younger audiences get headlines from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and creator-journalists who simplify complex issues in 60–120 seconds.

India:

- Hindi and regional news channels remain politically powerful and command strong reach in BARC ratings.

- But ad yields are under pressure:

- Fragmentation across dozens of channels.

- Advertisers shifting to digital where targeting and measurement are stronger.

- Credibility has become a business issue: polarised prime-time shouting matches have driven away a segment of urban, high-value audiences to digital-first outlets and independent YouTube channels.

 Structural Shifts

- A large part of news consumption has shifted from scheduled viewing to clip-based, on-demand viewing on phones.

- Regulatory pressure is rising worldwide on misinformation, political funding, cross-ownership and foreign influence.

- “News brands” that can operate seamlessly on TV + OTT + social video are the ones growing.

 What News Channels Need to Do Differently

1. Treat your TV channel as a Content Factory for Digital

- Every show, panel, and field report should be planned with multi-platform life in mind:

- 2–3 minute explainers for YouTube.

- 30–60 second vertical highlights for Reels/Shorts.

- Audio cuts for podcasts and WhatsApp broadcasts.

- Build a dedicated digital video desk separate from the broadcast output team.

2. Monetise Trust, Not Only TRPs

- Launch subscription or contribution products around:

- Investigations and long-form docs.

- Fact-check units.

- Region-specific deep dives.

- Offer branded research, whitepapers and closed-door briefings to corporate and policy audiences, carefully ring-fenced from editorial.

3. Rebuild Credibility as a Strategic Moat

- Set clear public standards on AI usage, source verification, corrections.

- Invest in single-topic explanatory shows (e.g., economy, climate, tech, law) that build loyal, affluent viewers, not just viral noise.

- Encourage anchor-journalists to build personal brands on social platforms – but keep strong internal rules on conflicts of interest.

4. Prepare for Regulatory Scrutiny

- Maintain clean, well-documented ad-sales and political advertising records.

- Anticipate rules on cross-ownership and foreign capital and plan for corporate restructuring ahead of regulatory deadlines.

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 3. General Entertainment Channels (GECs) & Linear TV

 2025 Reality: From Dominance to Negotiated Relevance

Global:

- Entertainment channels that lost scripted content to streamers are leaning on sports, reality, game shows and live events to stay relevant.

- Bundling with streaming (single login, integrated billing) is becoming common.

India:

- Television remains a reach monster: there are over 200+ million TV households, and weekly TV reach still outperforms OTT by a wide margin.

- Family co-viewing, daily soaps, reality shows and big-ticket events (awards, reality finals, sports) keep GECs relevant.

- However, ad share is gradually tilting towards digital, and younger urban households are actively cord-shaving or moving to connected-TV apps.

 Structural Shifts

- The rise of Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) channels means GEC content can now live in a free streaming environment as linear channels on CTV.

- Consolidation and JVs (e.g. global studios with Indian groups) are increasing bargaining power for sports rights and premium fiction.

 How GEC Owners Can Reinvent Their Business

1. Architect a “Hybrid Linear + FAST + SVOD” Portfolio

- Reuse your library as:

- Traditional scheduled TV.

- FAST channels (genre-based: crime, comedy, romance, kids) under your brand on CTV devices.

- Select titles in SVOD windows (own or partner OTT).

- This maximises lifetime value of IP across multiple ad and subscription environments.

2. Build IP That Can Travel

- Move from one-off soaps to character-driven universes:

- Spin-offs, sequels, regional remakes.

- Crossovers into audio dramas, web series, and even games.

- Invest in strong writers’ rooms and showrunner systems, not just star-led casting.

3. Negotiate Bundled Ad Solutions

- Pitch advertisers screen-agnostic packages:

- TV spot + OTT pre-roll + FAST channel presence + social cuts.

- Use cross-screen frequency capping and basic attribution to prove incremental reach and impact.

4. Use Data Without Losing the “Mass”

- Combine BARC + OTT + social insights to build “audience taste maps”: what genres and emotions drive co-viewing, bingeing, or appointment viewing.

- Let those maps inform commissioning, but avoid chasing every micro-trend; your edge is still mass resonance.

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 4. OTT & Streaming Platforms

 2025 Reality: The Era of Discipline and Deals

Global:

- Streaming growth has cooled; profitability and ARPU are now the north star.

- Ad-supported tiers are standard. Password sharing crackdowns and price hikes are routine.

- Consolidation is redefining the market:

- Skydance–Paramount has closed, creating a vertically integrated studio–streamer group.

- Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery’s studio and streaming assets would, if approved, concentrate a vast library (from Harry Potter to Game of Thrones) under a single streaming-first giant.

India:

- India has crossed 600 million OTT users, nearly 150 million active paid subscriptions, with connected TV usage up nearly 87% year-on-year.

- Growth in users is slowing; growth in time spent per user and revenue per user is where the action is.

- Sports (especially cricket), local originals and regional-language content are the three big hooks.

 Structural Shifts

- The economics are shifting from direct-to-consumer dreams to bundles and wholesale:

- Telcos, broadband providers, smart TV OEMs bundle OTT apps.

- Corporate and retail bundling (ISP + OTT + music + cloud storage) is common.

- Ad technology and measurement are becoming more sophisticated, turning streaming into a performance media channel, not just a brand-awareness platform.

 The Streaming Playbook: From Subscriber Growth to Profitability

1. Move from “Library Size” to “Monetisation Depth”

- Identify your 10–20 most valuable franchises and deepen:

- Spin-off series, documentaries, shorts, live events, games, podcasts.

- Fan clubs and events anchored around those titles.

- Be ruthless about cancelling shows that neither attract new subs nor retain high-value cohorts.

2. Design a Dual-Engine Revenue Model

- Treat subscription and advertising as equal engines:

- Freemium paths (free episode, paid rest).

- “Try before pay” windows on FAST/YouTube before paywalled release.

- Build self-serve ad platforms for SMEs, not just big agencies, to diversify demand.

3. Think in Bundles, Not Standalone Apps

- Proactively partner with:

- Telcos and DTH players.

- Smart TV makers (pre-loads, remote buttons).

- Financial services / retail loyalty programs.

- Negotiate data-sharing and attribution visibility in these bundles to avoid becoming a nameless tile.

4. Build Regional Depth in India

- Commission regional originals with local showrunners instead of dubbed Hindi-only content.

- Use AI-assisted dubbing and subtitling for cross-state circulation once the content proves itself locally.

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 5. Theatrical Cinema

 2025 Reality: Eventisation or Extinction

Global:

- The global box office for 2025 is projected around US$33 billion, roughly 8% higher than 2024, but still below pre-COVID averages.

- Performance is highly skewed: a handful of tentpoles (Zootopia 2, major franchises, game adaptations) drive a disproportionate share of revenue.

- China remains volatile: domestic patriotic titles and local animation compete fiercely with selective foreign releases.

India:

- The cinema habit remains culturally strong, especially for big-ticket Hindi and South Indian releases.

- However, mid-budget films without strong theatrical hooks are increasingly moving straight to OTT or limited theatrical runs.

- Windowing is more flexible: successful films get longer exclusive runs, while under-performers move to OTT in 3–4 weeks.

 Structural Shifts

- Theatrical has become a premium “event” channel:

- Fans pay for spectacle, community, and FOMO.

- Intimate or experimental stories often do better on OTT.

- Consolidation in Hollywood may reduce the number of big-budget global titles, creating an opening for local and regional cinema.

 Making Cinema Work in 2026: A Practical Roadmap

1. Think Franchises and Universes, Not One-Off Films

- Build repeatable IP: characters, worlds, genres audiences can return to.

- Map each film as a node in a broader universe (prequels, sequels, spin-off series, animation, games, podcasts).

2. Rewire Marketing Around Communities, Not Just Spend

- Build owned fan databases through contests, memberships, and digital communities.

- Lean into creator-driven marketing: early screenings for influencers, fan edits, behind-the-scenes vertical content.

3. Collaborate with Streamers, Don’t Just Sell Rights

- Negotiate co-marketing deals where OTT supports theatrical awareness.

- Explore window flexibility: dynamic OTT date based on box-office performance thresholds.

4. Upgrade the Theatre Experience

- For exhibitors: focus on picture, sound, seating, food and service – make the outing feel premium and social.

- Pilot tiered pricing (front rows cheaper, premium rows higher), weekday passes, and subscription-style offers for frequent moviegoers.

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 6. Radio, Audio & Podcasts

 2025 Reality: From FM Towers to “Audio Networks”

Global:

- Traditional linear radio is under pressure from music streaming and podcasts, but audio overall is booming:

- Podcasts and audiobooks continue to grow.

- Smart speakers, in-car systems and wearables make audio a constant background companion.

India:

- FM radio’s share in ad spend is small and expected to drop further (around 1–2% of total AdEx), yet it still plays a critical role in cars, shops, and small-town brand awareness.

- At the same time, regional language audio – devotional, talk, commentary, long-form storytelling – is growing on music apps and YouTube.

 Structural Shifts

- Audio is shifting from “station-led” to “show-led” consumption.

- Programmatic audio advertising is making it easier for brands to target mood, genre, and time-of-day across platforms.

 Building Audio Businesses That Actually Work

1. Rebrand as Audio Networks, Not Just FM Stations

- Bundle FM + digital radio streams + on-demand podcasts under one brand.

- Offer advertisers unified planning: one buy, multiple audio environments.

2. Invest in Original IP That Travels Across Audio + Video

- Turn successful radio shows into:

- Podcasts with evergreen listening.

- Short video clips for social.

- Create signature narrative shows (true crime, romance, inspiration, finance) in Indian languages.

3. Build Local Commerce and Utility Products

- Leverage radio’s local reach to launch:

- City-specific deals, classifieds, events.

- Ticketing and local experiences (concerts, stand-up, sports screenings).

4. Use Data from Apps and Smart Devices

- Launch or improve your own streaming app to capture listener data.

- Use that data to:

- Optimise dayparts and playlists.

- Sell data-backed, premium audio packages to advertisers.

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 7. Digital Media, Social Platforms & the Creator Economy

 2025 Reality: The New Center of Gravity

Global:

- Studies in 2025 agree: social video platforms and creators are now the “new center of gravity” of entertainment.

- People spend roughly six hours a day on media and entertainment; short-form video, creator content and UGC fight for a large slice of that, often at the expense of TV and premium streaming.

- AI tools have dramatically lowered the cost of:

- Editing, grading, captioning.

- Translation and dubbing.

- Thumbnail and hook testing.

India:

- India is one of the largest creator markets on the planet, with explosive growth in vernacular content.

- OTT has 600M+ users, but short vertical video reaches far beyond that via Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Moj, Josh, etc.

- Digital now commands the largest share of India’s ad spend, and within digital, retail/commerce media and performance marketing are growing fastest.

 Structural Shifts

- Brands are shifting from one-off influencer campaigns to ongoing creator partnerships tied to performance metrics (sales, sign-ups).

- First-party data, privacy regulations, and AI-driven optimisation are central to digital planning.

 How Digital Businesses and Creators Should Operate

1. Build Enduring Brands Around People + Properties

- Identify and back your on-screen talent (hosts, explainers, reviewers) with long-term contracts and brand strategy.

- Build named shows and franchises, not just random videos:

- Weekly explainers

- Recurring challenge formats

- Editorialised “lists” and rankings

2. Put First-Party Data at the Centre

- Move audiences to owned properties (apps, websites, newsletters, communities) wherever possible.

- Offer advertisers rich audience segments (interests, behaviours, purchase intent) while staying privacy-compliant.

3. Industrialise Content and Experimentation with AI – Carefully

- Use AI to:

- Generate multiple headline variations.

- Auto-clip long videos into short highlights.

- Translate/dub to other Indian languages.

- Keep creative direction, editorial judgment and sensitive reporting strictly human-led. Make this policy visible to your audience.

4. Turn Creators Into Partners, Not Vendors

- Offer rev-share or equity-like upside to top creators instead of only flat fees; this keeps them loyal and aligned.

- Provide studio, research, legal and brand-sales support to creators under your network umbrella.

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 8. India vs The World: What’s Structurally Different

The Three Big Contrasts:

1. Reach vs Revenue Mix

- Mature markets: digital and streaming dominate both revenue and increasingly reach.

- India: TV and print still offer enormous reach, but revenue growth is overwhelmingly digital-led.

2. Language Complexity

- Mature markets: English (plus a few large languages) dominate.

- India: No single language can win. Media that can efficiently produce and distribute content in multiple Indian languages, assisted by AI but guided by local editorial, will have a structural advantage.

3. Regulation and Consolidation

- Globally: regulators are wary of megamergers like Netflix–Warner and the growing dominance of a few global tech giants in advertising.

- India: Alongside global trends, there is a hyper-competitive, fast-growing ad market with occasional regulatory shocks (antitrust raids, scrutiny of pricing, and big domestic JVs like Reliance–Disney).

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 9. What Media Boards Should Actually Do in 2026

 1. Clarify Your Core Business

Answer, honestly:

- Are you in the reach business (selling large audiences)?

- The relationship business (subscriptions, memberships, CRM)?

- The rights & IP business (content libraries, characters, formats)?

- Or a services business (content production, brand studios, events)?

Most sustainable media companies in 2026 will do all four – but one must be primary. Align your org structure, incentives and acquisitions to that.

 2. Build One Data Spine

Stop treating each platform as a silo.

- Create a central data and insight function that serves print, TV, OTT, digital, audio and events.

- Make sure you can answer:

- “What is the lifetime value of an average user acquired from platform X?”

- “Which content actually drives retention or purchase, not just views?”

 3. Professionalise M&A and Partnerships

Given the wave of consolidation:

- Be clear whether you are a buyer, a seller, or a partner.

- Build a small internal strategy/M&A office that:

- Tracks potential JVs, local consolidations, and global alliances.

- Prepares your assets (data, rights, governance) to be “transaction ready”.

 4. Develop a Public AI & Trust Policy

Make it explicit:

- Where you use AI (editing, recommendation, dubbing, ops).

- Where you never use AI (fact-checking, investigative reporting, editorial decisions).

- How you handle corrections, deepfake detection, and synthetic content.

Trust will differentiate winners more than technology.

 5. Invest in People Who Can Bridge Worlds

The most valuable leaders in 2026 will understand:

- Journalism and product.

- Content and data science.

- Creative direction and commercial deals.

Deliberately nurture hybrid talent who can move between newsroom, product, sales, and technology.

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 The Bottom Line

The story of media in 2025 is not “old vs new.” It’s fragmented attention vs coherent brands.

Media owners who survive and grow in 2026 will be those who:

- Accept that platforms and formats will keep changing.

- Invest in distinctive brands, trusted voices, reusable IP, and deep audience relationships.

- Use technology to amplify human creativity, not replace it.

Everything else — including whether your audience meets you in a newspaper, on a TV screen, in a cinema hall, inside an app, or through a smart speaker — is just distribution.

If you control the relationship, you will control your future.

Written by Kapil Suravaram who is a Media Consultant and heads EastFx Media Communication India Private Limited and has worked in Indian and American Media. The data in the article is based on data analysis by ResearchFx team.